Powell ready for the Kentish Triple Top Mountain Run challenge

BIG RUN: Devonport's Mollie Powell will return from Melbourne this weekend to compete in the Kentish Triple Top Mountain Run. Picture: Nick Restall

Mollie Powell has one simple aim for Sunday’s Kentish Triple Top Mountain Run, to finish in one piece.

The 19.7 kilometre trail run near Sheffield, the definition of tough, will start on Round Mountain and including Mount Claude, Mount Van Dyke and Mount Roland before finishing at the Claude Road Hall.

“This will be my first time taking part in it,’’ said the former Devonport resident, who is now based in Melbourne.

...hopefully I can run the whole way and complete it in under five hours

Triple Top Mountain run competitor Mollie Powell

“I’ve been really interested in trail running recently and I just thought this would be a really good challenge. I’ve been up Mount Roland a few times just walking, and I do like the longer mountain-type of run, so those two things are what attracted me to it.

“I am basically just aiming to finish it, and hopefully I can run the whole way and complete it in under five hours.”

The 23-year-old, who has previously competed in such events as the Launceston Ten and the Tullah Challenge, said she was ready for anything when it came to the conditions.

“I’ve heard it can be pretty unpredictable there with the weather and it has a lot of climbing, and it can be quite muddy with a lot of puddles. I can’t wait to give it a go.”

Sunday will be Powell’s second “full-on” trail run and she had been preparing for it for the past two or three months by adding more hill work into her running.

Race organiser Frank Atkins said 350 competitors would take part.

“The Triple Top is regarded as the top mountain run in Australia,’’ Atkins said.

“We attract runners from all over Australia and they come here and tell us that this is the best mountain run in Australia.”

Atkins said Launceston’s Peter Johnston and Turners Beach’s Mick Purton were two to watch in the men’s race. He believed Nerida Warburg, of Hobart, and Sydney’s Alexis Airey were the favourites in the women’s race.

Runners will depart the Claude Road Hall at 9.30am, which will be an hour after those walking the event would have left.

The Kentish Triple Top Mountain Run will be run by the Kentish Lions Club, with more than 100 volunteers, with SES volunteers on hand. For more information visit the Kentish Lions Club website.